The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-05
NO. IS.
eAlRY LAMPS OF The SEA.
Stsrfsl That Sparkle Like brilliant "c'n'f
Phosphorescent Jellysisli.

Starfish That Sparkle Like Brilliant GcmS
Phosphoreseent JelIyfsh.
When the contents of a dredge ere
landed upon the deck at midday the cu-
rioas shapes and colors of animals alone
attract attention; but If they are ex-
aminc1 at night they develop new
l-1atv, cleaning with wondrous light
tlat is so little understood. The star
fishes brought up at certain places are all
seemingly heated to white heat, the
CLEANS running up and down the arms,
making the animal a marvel of beauty.
Especially among the stars known as
opllinr0ns is the light most brilliant and
interesting. Even the very young ones
sparkle like GEMS. A dredge has been
taken from great depth fairly overflow
ing with these dazzling creatures, telling
q wonderful story of the condition of
things below the surface. These are the
lights Of the bottom, and in shoaler water
we shall find anemones and corals emit
ting a wonderful light.
Perhaps the most striking light given
is a group Of poiyps, growing upon n
stem three or four feet in length, resem-
bling a taH candlestick. The name OF
this creature is the umhcllularia, and it
was first found in deep water of tho
coast Of Greenland. the trawl bringing
up such large number that il was evident
that the ship had passed over veritable
forest of them. Imagine a corn-field
mile or SO below the surface. the stalks
four feet long and the ears emitting a
golden groenish light of wonderful soft
ness; think of this as spread over acres
Of surface to an indefinite extent. the
lights waving here and there in gentle I'M
duiations; imagine fishes darting through
them with cleaning headlights, others
outlined in fire, while far above are great
globes of light, with soft aurcolas, and
some idea Of this world beneath the sea
can be formed
The jcllyiish, or medusac. ore among
the most remarkable of light givers, and,
with few exceptions, they are luminous,
some being more SO than others, and much
Of the pho5phoresccnce of the Pacific, az
seen from the decks of vessels, is due tc
these creatures-that are SO beautifully
formed and SO delicate in color, yet in
reality are % per cent. water: in all Jelly
fish 3 per cent. will represent the solid
part.
In some, as pelagia, the entire animal
is luminous its shape being outlined in
full, as it were, while in others only cer-
tain portions are light emitting. Not only
are these creatures pho,phorescent, but
the coiors are different; some emit
golden light; in others it is q green or
azure, and some seem to combine several
tints. Again, certain ones are luminous
all the time; others show their light in
fitful way or when disturbed; and during
the autumn of the year. when these
radiant creatures are hurled against the
rocks and ground up. their lights seem to
combine in turning the entire ocean into
seething Caldron.
Among the crustaceans. or, as they are
commonly called, the crabs, we find some
interesting light givers. Several years
ago some explorers ON ojr southwestern
coast found that as night came on the
snow sludge along shore gave out light,
and when it was fully dark the display
was extremely remarkable; at every step
flashes OF light splashed about every
where, tinted with an il ense blue hue,
and the scene presented could be dupli-
Gated If it were possible for man to walk
through molten metal. The little creature
that produced this light was extremely
small. bat what it lacked in size il made
up in numbers, the cold icy water being
fairly alive with them, each one flashing
like q gem.
Probably nearly I'll of the deep sea forms
are light givers, either over their entire
surface or upon certain places. One
which | call to mind has luminous
bands upon its legs, while another, with
an unpronounccable name, has luminous
eyes, The worms that hide in the mud
are brilliant light givers some emitting
lights Of several colors. The sea plumeg
and fans of the south are gorgeous in a
lilac light In fact. in some places every
thing brought TO the surface is a light
givCr, so that we can wcll imagine that
while the deep sea has no sunlight. ma
ture has done her best to compensate for
the omission.
Even among the shells we find light
givcrs. The little clcod0ra, with its little
fairy ship or slicll emits n light now of
intense blue, again red or white, while
the pholas. the little biyalve that enters
solid rock with al tho case Of the miner.
has brilliant blush light that continues
even after the death of the animal. and
as long ago as the time OF Pliny a writer
said that those who dned upon tho
pholas appeared to be eating fire, so vivid
was the phosphorescencc. Some inter-
esting experiments have been tried with
this light giycr. Thus by placing one in
honey its luminosity was retained for a
year. As may be sJrmised such expert
ments were made with the idea of rem
dering The lhoai Of the pholas
permanent, and if the secret Of animal
luminosity could be discovered and ap-
piled to the wants OF the man it would
without doubt revoiutionize existing
methcis.
Wa have seen that the deep sea and
SHALLOW waters have their lights, vet if
all these were combined the most deli
cately adjusted thermometer would fell
to show the slightest elevation OF tenn
perature, and this is the popularity Of
phosphorescent light. II is heatless, eiows
in vacuum, under water-in fact. in all
conditions where ordinary light fails If
it is a combustion no one can prove it,
and consumption of organic fuel, ac-
companied by light but not heat, is diff
cult TO understand. Endless theories have
been propounded to explain the phe-
nomena, and it is safe TO say that very
little more is known TODAY than was adj
vanced where phosphorcscence was first
observed.-S Francisco Cali.